If you look closely, this beautiful, little bird appears to have whiskers around its beak. Why?
Answer:
This is a female Redstart, a warbler that acts more like a flycatcher. She swoops from a perch to catch flying insects. The "whiskers" are called rictal bristles, and they are thought to aid in scooping up flying insects, and also to protect the bird's eyes from the legs of their insect prey.
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